Aquatic toy



March 22, 1955 w. A. LAIRD 2,704,416

AQUATIC TOY Filed Sept. 4, 1952 5 ,Tun k TURNEYS United States Patent OAQUATIC TOY William A. Laird, Dana Point, Calif.

Application September 4, 1952, Serial No. 307,870

2 Claims. (Cl. 46--92) This invention relates to toys having propellingmeans incorporated therein, and in particular a toy duck having feetactuated to form paddles and a string actuated' motor and clutchcombination in the body of the duck and positioned to reciprocate thepaddles forming the feet for propelling the duck.

The purpose of this invention is to provide propelling means adapted tobe used for toys positioned in the water. With the conventional springactuated motors for propelling toys it is diiiicult to enclose themotors suiciently to warrant use thereof for toys positioned in thewater because with the water entering the mechanical elements the partsreadily corrode and rust to such an extent that operation thereof isprevented. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates astring actuated motor with a spring for returning 4the string and with aclutch for releasing a counterweight whereby momentum imparted to theweight by the string continues the rotation of the weight after theyforce of the string is discontinued.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forminga motor for toys adapted to be used in the water wherein the drivingforce is"'the result of momentum imparted to the device by the quickmovement of a string drawn from the body of thel toy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a string actuated motorfor toys in which means is provided in the toy for rewinding the string.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selfpropelled toyhaving a string actuated motor therein in which the toy is of a simpleand economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies a substantially hollow body having a shaft journaled in abracket in the body with a weight on the shaft adapted to be actuated bya string through a clutch combination with a spring for rewinding thestring upon release of the clutch and with a worm on the shaft foractuating paddles forming feet of the toy with the paddles extendedthrough a grommet of elastic material incorporated in the base of thebody of the toy.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the toy with parts broken away toshow the operating mechanism within the body of the toy and with partsshown in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan through the body of the toy taken on line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail illustrating one of the paddles of the toy with thepaddle removed from the body of the toy.

Figure 4 is a cross section through the toy looking toward the face ofthe clutch and illustrating balls of the clutch positioned in pocketshaving inclined inner surfaces.

Figure 5 is a detail showing the clutch in combination with a portion ofthe weight and with part of the clutch broken away to show one of theballs in one of the pockets having inclined inner surfaces.

Figure 6 is a similar detail showing the ball in the end of the pocket.

Referring now to the ,drawing wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the improved toy of this invention includes a body10, a shaft 11 journaled in upwardly extended ends 12 and 13 of abracket having a base 14 from which the ends extend, a ywheel 15, a drum16 for winding a string 17, a clutch 18 on 2,704,416 Patented Mar. 22,1955 ICC one end of the drum 16, a spring 19 for rewinding the string 17on the drum 16, and a worm 20 positioned on the shaft 11 and adapted toactuate paddles 21 and 22 by pins 23 and 24 on crank arms 25 and 26 of ashaft 21 that is provided with a worm gear 28 with which the worm 20meshes.

In the design shown the body 10 is provided with a head 29 and a tail30, representing a duck, however, it will be understood that the bodymay be formed to represent diferent animals or other objects. The body10 is provided with a cavity 31 in which the operating mechanism ispositioned and with the bracket mounted in the body, in the positionshown in Fig. 1, the string 17, on the outer end of which is a ring 32,extends through an opening 33 in the upper part of the body.

The opposite end of the string t/ is secured, as shown at the point 34to a ange 35 or the drum 16. One end of the spring 19 is also secured tothe flange 35 as shown at the point 36 and the opposite end of thespring is secured to the end 12 of the bracket, as shown at the point37.

The clutch 18 is formed at the opposite end of the drum 16 and, asillustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 balls 38 are positioned in pockets 39 ofthe clutch 18 and with the pockets having sloping inner surfaces 40 theclutch is free to travel in one direction, in relation to the ywheel 15,however, when the clutch is rotated in the opposite direction by thestring 17 the balls grip the end surface of the ywheel 15 therebyrotating the llywheel and shaft 11 upon which the flywheel 15 is securedwith a key 41.

By this means the ywheel 1S is rotated by the string as the string isdrawn outwardly and upon reaching the termination of its outwardmovement the string is released whereby the spring 19 rotates the drum16 to rewind the string whereas the balls 38 assume positions asillustrated in Fig. 6 wherein the ilywheel 15 is released and continuesto rotate the shaft 11.

With the shaft 11 rotating the worm gear 28 is rotated by the worm 20whereby the shaft 27 is rotated, and as the shaft rotates the cranks 25and 26, through the pins 23 and 24 reciprocate the arms 42 and 43 andthereby actuate the paddles 21 and 22.

The arms 42 and 43 are provided with elongated slots 44 and 45 in whichthe pins 23 and 24 travel and, as illustrated in Fig. 1 the arms 42 and43 extend from balls 46 in sockets in the grommets 47. The arm 42 isprovided with an extension 48, which extends from the balls 46 and onwhich the paddle 21 is pivotally mounted with a pin 49. The arm 43 isprovided with a similar extension 50 and the paddle 22 is pivotallymounted on the extension 50 with a pin 51. The paddles are provided withextensions 52 that engage the forward edges of the extensions 48 and 50to limit forward movement of the paddles.

The shaft 27 is journaled in bearings 53 and 54 extended upwardly fromthe base 14 of the bracket and as long as the shaft 27 is actuated bythe flywheel 15 through the shaft 11 and worm and gear the paddles willcontinue to operate.

The grommets 47 which may be formed of rubber or other suitableresilient material are positioned in openings 55 and S6 in the lowersurface of the body and the grommets may be secured in position withcement or the like.

It will be noted that the flywheel 15 is formed with a weight and themomentum thereof continues to rotate the shafts 11 and 27 after thestring is released.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of theappended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In an aquatic toy, the combination which comprises a shaft, meansrotatably mounting the shaft, a transversely disposed shaft, meansrotatably mounting said transverely disposed shaft, worm gearsoperatively connecting the transversely disposed shaft to the formershaft, pivotally mounted propelling elements, crank arms connected tosaid transversely disposed shaft, eccentrically mounted pins on saidcrank arms, arms having slots therein connected to said propellingelements and said pins positioned in said slots for operativelyconnecting said propelling elements to the transversely disposed shaft,a Weight providing a y wheel mounted on said former shaft, a drum havingclutch elements in one end mounted on said former shaft and positionedwhereby the clutch elements coact with one side of the Weight forrotating the weight as the drum is rotated in one direction, a stringwrapped on the drum and adapted to rotate the drum as it is drawntherefrom, and a spring for rewinding the string on the drum.

2. In a toy, the combination which comprises a substantially hollowbody, a bracket having upwardly extended ends mounted in said body, ashaft journaled in the upwardly extended ends of the bracket, acylindrical weight providing a y wheel mounted on said shaft, a drumhaving clutch elements in one end mounted on the shaft and positionedwhereby the clutch elements grip the weight for rotating the weight withthe shaft with the drum rotating in one direction, a string wrapped onthe drum and having an end with a ring therein positioned on the outsideof said body, propelling elements pivotally connected to the hollow bodyand depending below the body, a transversely disposed shaft, worm gearsconnecting the transversely disposed shaft to the shaft journaled in theupwardly extended ends of the bracket, cranks having eccentricallypositioned pins thereon carried by said transversely disposed shaft,arms having elongated slots therein connected to said propellingelements and positioned with the eccentrically positioned pins extendedinto said slots for actuating the propelling elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS109,992 Hart Dec. 6, 1870 1,687,675 Lehmann Oct. 16, 1928 2,229,175Johnson Jan. 21, 1941 2,588,040 Perez Mar. 4, 1952 2,604,727 SwensonJuly 29, 1952 2,642,698 Fishburne June 23, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 124,653Great Britain Apr. 3, 1919 445,999 Germany June 24, 1927 572,858 GermanyMar. 24, 1933

